Wiring help!

[95FoDo]

I am about 90% done with installing my interior neon lights. I have the lights attached where I want them, the wires hidden, the black wires on a ground bolt, and the red wires spliced together... My problem is the switch. It's a 3 prong deal that lights up when it is on. One gold prong and two silver. I called my uncle and he says that one is for the ground, one for the light, and the third one to the other black wire. I am no good at working new stuff into the fuse box, I have a volt tester (one of those light up screwdrivers) and I need a walkthrough on how this works.

Thanks, -Jay

 

[oc_civic]

i think that he has it a little wrong.. one is power in.. one is power out and the other is for the ground... or at least thats what it should be.. if you f**k it up you will more than likely blow a fuse because you will bridge the power wire (red) and a ground.. and pop whatever fuse its on.. so what i THINK that you should do is hook it up without the ground (PROBABLY the two like colored contacts) red on one side and your power supply on the other.. IF the neon lights then you COULD probably hook the left over terminal to the ground causing your switch to light up.. when you hook up the power and neon WITHOUT the ground the switch should NOT light up.. if it does something is wrong.. let me know how you make out or if you have any other questions..

 

[95FoDo]

Great, that really helps seeing it out like that. Just jump it under a fuse? Thats how we did my air horn haha. Does the accessory have to be on for the wires to be live in the fusebox?

 

[qwikxr]

yeppers, OC is 100% correctomundo! (per usual )

 

[oc_civic]

Great, that really helps seeing it out like that. Just jump it under a fuse? Thats how we did my air horn haha. Does the accessory have to be on for the wires to be live in the fusebox?

it depends how you wire it.. if you wire it into something thats ALWAYS hot (like the power side of the battery WITH A FUSE) then no the car doesnt have to be on.. if you wire it into say the cigarette lighter outlet hot then yes the car will need to be on or at least in the accessory position.. you should definately hook some kind of inline fuse on that... between the switch and power supply just in case..

 

[95FoDo]

Alright cool, so when I am checking for a hot wire I just poke the end of my volt tester in where the fuse was and then clip the other side on a ground wire and that should tell me whats hot and whats not? I guess I am just going to jump the wire under a fuse. I think the neons are sort of cheesy to be honest but my girl really thinks they are "fun" and its a nice little little project to work on. I finally get a day off tomorrow so I think I'll do it then when there is some light out.

 

[95FoDo]

Sweet, I got it all done. Only took like 20 minutes after I got the aesthetics of the switch done.